By HUNTER O. LYLE
DUKE CENTER, PA – Bursting out of the gates with energy, confidence and an army of high-flying hitters, the Otto-Eldred volleyball team strung on their fourth consecutive win as they outlasted Austin in three sets to remain undefeated.
After losing several key pieces such as Carrie Drummond and Addie Bell from a season ago, as well as adding a brand new head coach into the mix, it would have been easy for the Lady Terrors to take some time and look for ways to rebuild. Instead, however, they rose to the occasion and have dominated their opponents without losing a single set.
“Honestly, these girls just know the game of volleyball. They make it easy to coach,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Amber App. “It’s on them really, not me. They do amazingly.”
Facing their fourth North Tier League opponent, it seemed as if the Lady Panthers might be the ones to break the streak. Early on, it was a back-and-forth first set as each team traded blows to the tune of 9-8, with O-E holding onto a slim advantage. Equally matched in every aspect of the court, neither team could gain a significant edge, however, a massive slam from Rayel Hakes would inject some energy into the Lady Terrors.
Taking to the service line after her spike, Hakes would lead the way again with an ace as O-E quickly found five unanswered points. Even after their momentum faded, sitting up 16-10, the Lady Terrors were able to keep Austin at bay as the finish line drew near. Although the Lady Panthers found a run of their own late in the set, it would be short-lived, totaling at just four straight points. O-E countered with a set-sealing 6-0 run of their own, taking a 1-0 lead on the day.
In set No. 2, the scoring bursts would become more frequent, yet more concise. Both teams would temporarily find their rhythm before a big slam or long-winded rally would shift the momentum to the other side of the court.
Amassing a 16-12 lead midway through, O-E would be the first to really break things open. Putting the team on their front lines shoulders, the Lady Terrors sent rocketing shots down onto Austin time and time again while their net protection denied shots at point blank range, producing a 7-2 run that put them on the doorstep of another victory.
But then Austin found life, and hitters, of their own.
Building a stifling wall at the net and mixing in a few well placed aces, the Lady Panthers began marching back into the game, scoring four straight to draw within three of O-E. However, Hakes again stepped up, snubbing Austin’s spark with thunderous spikes that crashed back to the court with authority. Racking up two blocks and a kill in the final stretch, Hakes carried the Lady Terrors to another win at 25-22.
“(Rayel) brings it all. We seriously have four or five hitters that can hit from almost anywhere but if we need that winning hit, we’re going to Rayel,” said App. “And she’s getting more of the grit and fierceness. She was, you know, happy-go-lucky but she’s starting to feel it now.”
Pushed into a corner, Austin grabbed a hold of the throttle and, after initially falling behind 10-6, knotted the do-or-die third set at 11 with a 5-1 run. They would take their first lead of the set shortly after and although the Lady Terrors stopped the bloodletting, Austin continued to control the court. O-E, on the other hand, seemed out of sync as continuous errors, including several serves that collided with the curtain, left them behind 19-16.
After a timeout to recollect themselves, the Lady Terrors regained focus. Capitalizing on an Austin miscue, O-E’s Baylee Francis took to the service line, leading her team to back-to-back kills. Jahden Smith then contributed a morale-boosting spike and soon enough, the Lady Terrors had stolen back the momentum.
A 4-0 run quickly deflated the Lady Panthers, who searched for answers as their long-awaited lead disappeared. From there The Lady Terrors only surged, ending the night with an 8-1 run that preserved their undefeated status.
“Honestly, when we come in during our last time outs, I usually tell them, ‘they don’t score anymore’,” said App, “and the girls just go with it. (Our opponents) might score one but most of the time we tend to just close it out and pull away.”
Hakes finished with seven points, seven kills, two blocks and eight digs while Francis tallied 16 points, five kills and four digs. Remy McDivitt totaled 10 points, two aces and six digs in the win alongside Emma Button, who ran the offense with 20 assists to go wither her five digs and three aces.
